I am watching a classic episode of MacGyver (S02E08: “Eagles”) while eating a $6 footlong (Chicken breast, toasted, honey mustard, everything but pickles & olives) from Subway. It’s a funny episode, but only in my head. I’m MST3K’ing (or “riffing”) while I watch Richard Dean Anderson pretend to see wilderness scenes that, judging from the scratches and discoloration, were likely filmed in 1967. The juxtaposition between aged stock footage and less-aged MacGyver footage is pretty extreme, but we didn’t really care back then. Back then, our brains sort of ignored the lack of visual consistency. We lived with the fact that the producers, in an effort to save a buck, bought some footage of Eagles flying from National Geographic, or perhaps Ted’s Discount Eagle Flight Films and Tackle. Either way, no one balked then. It was 1989. Our biggest concern was George H.W. Bush. His biggest concern were the broccoli nightmares.

People balk now. Our sensitivities to quality are exponentially increased in this 1080-i, HD, LCD video culture in which we are constantly surrounded by screens that only justify their existence if they get and keep our attention. Marketers know that our attention leads to purchase, which leads to a healthier economy, which leads to jobs, which leads to money to buy more screens, which leads to the dedicated attention of the consumer. The demands of the market have necessitated the highest possible video quality. We’ve gone from black and white to color to HD and 3D, and it won’t be long until we all have holidecks in our basements. Technology moves forward, and we will likely never go back. Can you imagine if Best Buy started selling 13″ Black and White console TV’s? The kind that weigh 700 tons and require a dedicated diesel generator?

In much the same way, culture has grown weary of limp Christianity. What we say and what we do simply don’t line up. Some religions are, to be frank, better than us at unconditional love. Chances are good that a 13 year old in a synagogue has more scripture memorized than you or I ever might. And what are we to be known for? Paul says that through Christ we’ve been enriched in our speech and our knowledge, meaning that we know Truth and speak Truth, and that the Truth is defined so clearly in our hearts that we would simply not go backwards to anything less than how the Gospel calls us to live. Perhaps in our earlier days, when Christianity was more accepted by the general public, we could get away with cutting to file footage without anyone uttering a single criticism. But today, with so many screens everywhere and so much competition for attention, it’s vital that we know Jesus well enough to convey Him to all we come in contact with. There’s nothing like Jesus being among others, which is a result of the Holy Spirit living in us and consequently pouring out as we walk with Him.

I’m not the only one sitting at my desk, eating a sub and watching reruns on YouTube. But I know something that others need to know, and they need to see Jesus in the highest definition possible. Let it be true of me. And you?